Adjustable frame for canvases

ABSTRACT

An adjustable frame, such as for artists canvases and silks, including tubular metal side and end members joined by frictionally retained corners and having spline grooves in the rear faces of the side and end members for the retention of materials stretched over the frame, and means provided at the corners for forcing the end and side members apart to slightly enlarge the dimensions of the frame and tighten the canvas or other material.

United States Patent 72] Inventor James B. Johnson South Pasadena, Calif.

[2| Appl. No. 33,820

[22] Filed May 1,1970

[45] Patented Dec. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee Universal Molding Co., Inc.

Lynwood, Calif.

[54] ADJUSTABLE FRAME FOR CANVASES 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

0.8. CI. l60/374.l 844d 3/18 Field of Search 160/374. 1. 374, 38 l 328 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,l49,985 3/1939 Tepper l60/374.l 2,491,600 l2/l949 Bearce l60/374.l X 3,32l,885 5/l967 Pratt 160/38] X Primary Examiner- David J. Williamowsky Assistant Examiner-Philip C. Kannan A!I0rneyAllan D. Mockabee ABSTRACT: An adjustable frame, such as for artists canvases and silks. including tubular metal side and end members joined by frictionally retained corners and having spline grooves in the rear faces of the side and end members for the retention of materials stretched over the frame, and means provided at the corners for forcing the end and side members apart to slightly enlarge the dimensions of the frame and tighten the canvas or other material.

PATENTED DEE nan 3,'525;274

40 Fm d1 INVEN'IOR JAMES B. JOHNSON DJUSI BLEFRAME FOR'CANVASES This invention relates to a frame for materials and is particularly adapted for use in connection with artists canvases, silks orthe like.

Customary wooden frames are of fixed dimensions. When a material for example, is initially stretched on the frame and tacked or otherwise secured in position, it is satisfactorily taut. However, when the artist applies his oils or other media, it is found that frictionally, the material will stretch somewhat and will tend to or bulge. With the conventional wooden frame, the only wayithe material can be tightened is to remove the tacks and retack it, and if such an operation is resorted to,

it can very readily'darnagethe work of the artist.

The present invention relates to a frame which preferably is of tubular metal or other suitable material which has provision for quickly and effectively securing the edge portions of the material to the rear'of the frame, and wherein the frame can beadjusted readilyi to take up slack which might occur after the picture has been painted.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable tubular frame wherein the side and end members are separateand connected by frictionally held corner inserts, and means is provided at the comers for moving the adjacent ends ofside and end members away from each other to enlarge the frame and stretch the material to the desired r Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable frame of thetypeidescribed, wherein the adjustment means will retain theframe in its expanded condition under all normal circumstances. 7 I

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame wherein convenient rnaterial securing means is provided, and wherein said securing means can be quickly and easily adjusted if needed to conform to adjustment in the size of the frame. 7 I d The above and other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing: v

FIG. 1 is an exploded detail in perspective of a comer of a frame according a ny invention:

FIG. 2is a perspective view of one of the corner expanding elements;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the comer portion of the frame in one position of adjustment; 7

FIG. 4 is a view si rnilarto FIG. 3 with the frame in a position of adjustment to a somewhat larger size;

7 FIG. 5 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line 55 of FIG. 3. j

The frame is shown composed of side members 6 and end members 8 which shown, are preferably of the same construction and are extruded or rolled into tubular form in conventional rolling apparatus. The frame members 6 and 8 are provided with open inner portions 10 and their inner edges are provided with spline grooves 12 to removably receive deformable plastic tpbular splines 14 for securing the edges of sheets of material I6 which are laid across the front of the frame and whose edge portions are wrapped around to the rear and inserted in the spline grooves I2 where they are removably heldby thjesplines 14. s

The tubular frame elements 6 and 8, at adjacent ends, are connected by corner inserts 18 which are so shaped and sized that their widest dimensions 20 will closely approximate the inner dimensions o ,theframe members 6 and 8. The corner inserts 18 are provided with upstanding webs I9 and 24 which have a tight frictional fit between the walls 22 and 26 of the tubular frame elements 6 and 8. The corner inserts 18 are intended to fit in thetubular frame members with sufficiently tight frictional fit that the frame members will be adequately connected against movement under normal handling and environmental cpnditiens.

Actually, the frarneelements withtheir spline grooves and splines and the corner inserts are the same as identical elements manufactured Universal Molding Co. of Lynwood, Calif., the spline grooves 12 and splines 14 in screen frames, being provided to secure the edges of screen material.

In the manufacture of screen frames the frame members 6 and 8 are positioned close together with the legs of the corner inserts l8 pushed into their respective frame elements as far as possible. This is done to give as great a degree of rigidity to the frame as possible. However, in accordance with the present invention, it is desired to provide means for forcing the adjacent ends of the frame members 6 and 8 apart to some extent when stretching of the material on the frame is required. In orderto accomplish this, I provide an expander element 28 which is roughly square in shape and has a flat plate portion 30 and an angular flange 32 extending along two sides. At a comer opposite the flange 32 is an car 34. Said ear 34 has athreaded aperture 36 axially aligned with an unthreaded aperture 38in the comer of the flange 32. A screw 40 is threaded through the aperture 36 and extends slightly through aperture 38 which is slightly larger than the screw.

In operation the expander element 28 is placed in the comer of the comer insert 18, asshown in FIGS. 3, 4 and '5. The flange 32 and apertured lug 34'are of the same height and preferably of no greater height than the outside flange of the comer insert I8. The edges 42 of the expander plate 30 bear against the ends of the tubular frame elements 6 and 8; In the smallest adjusted position of the frame as shown in FIG. 3, the

frame elements 6 and 8 are pushed onto the comer insert I8 until the frame elements engage the expander screw 40; If at any time the material on the 'frarrie should become loose and require tightening by expansion of the frame, the screw 40 can be rotated so that the edges 42 of the expander plate 30 will press against the end of the tubular frame elements 6 and'8, the expander element 28 moving upwardly on thescrew and away from the inside corner of the comer insert 18, as shown in FIG. 4. This of course will increase the overall size of the frame.

If the material needs only a slight amount of tightening, it can be accomplished merely by operating the expander screw 40. However, if any appreciable adjustment is made, it might at times be necessary to release the one or more edges of the material by removing the spline 14, and then replacing the' material and spline after adjustment has been made, but this is not generally necessary.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an artist's frame for canvases, screen silks and the like, which can' be quite economically produced on equipment for rolling screen frames with the addition of the small and easily produced expander element 28 and its screw. Material can be secured to the frame by anchoring their edges in the spline grooves with the deformable splines, and as stated above, if the material should become slack, ordinarily it can be stretched tight by adjustment of the expander screw without disturbing the splines which secure the edges of the material and the spline grooves. The frame can be produced economically and is not subject to deterioration in the mariner of frames of wood, and the location of the spline groove is such that the material conceals all of the otherwise visible parts of the metal frame when it is hung up on a wall.

When the frame is adjusted to stretch or restretch the material, it is held in place by the combined action of the frictionally held comer inserts l8, and the expander element 28. However, it is contemplated that the expander element can be used without a frictionally held corner insert if desired.

It should of course be understood that various changes can be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A frame for materials such as artists canvases, silks or other fabrics, wherein the improvement comprises: tubular side and end members having relatively movable adjacent ends defining comer spaces, corner inserts comprising angularly disposed arms frictionally fitting in and connecting said adjacent ends and defining closed outer frame edges at the comers of the frame, expander units positioned in the angles of said corner inserts and having edges engaging the adjacent ends of the side and end members, and a screw device carried by each expander and movable into engagement with the juncture of the comer insert arms, the expander unit being movable under action of the screw device to wedge against the adjacent side and end members and move then apart.

a a a t a 5 nun-a 

1. A frame for materials such as artists'' canvases, silks or other fabrics, wherein the improvement comprises: tubular side and end members having relatively movable adjacent ends defining corner spaces, corner inserts comprising angularly disposed arms frictionally fitting in and connecting said adjacent ends and defining closed outer frame edges at the corners of the frame, expander units positioned in the angles of said corner inserts and having edges engaging the adjacent ends of the side and end members, and a screw device carried by each expander and movable into engagement with the juncture of the corner insert arms, the expander unit being movable under action of the screw device to wedge against the adjacent side and end members and move then apart. 